Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you’re only using AI to pump out blog posts or social media content, you’re thinking too small. The real game-changers? They’re building businesses that run on autopilot — using next-gen AI agents to automate sales, operations and marketing around the clock, with zero employees.
In this video, I’ll break down the four AI agents that can turn a simple side hustle into a 7-figure business.
Revenue-generating agent: Replace entire sales teams with AI that qualifies leads, books calls and handles follow-ups — it’s like having a top-tier sales rep that never takes a day off.
Executive assistant agent: Say goodbye to calendar chaos and inbox overwhelm. Use AI to handle scheduling, inbox management, travel planning and data entry — freeing up hours each week.
Workflow and SOP agent: Automate your SOPs and streamline onboarding with screen-recording AI that turns your processes into step-by-step guides — no more micromanaging.
Pulse agent for marketing: Analyze sales data, audit content and predict campaign performance before you hit launch — this is the tool that tripled my sales in just 14 days.
If you’re only using AI to pump out blog posts or social media content, you’re thinking too small. The real game-changers? They’re building businesses that run on autopilot — using next-gen AI agents to automate sales, operations and marketing around the clock, with zero employees.
In this video, I’ll break down the four AI agents that can turn a simple side hustle into a 7-figure business.
Revenue-generating agent: Replace entire sales teams with AI that qualifies leads, books calls and handles follow-ups — it’s like having a top-tier sales rep that never takes a day off.
Executive assistant agent: Say goodbye to calendar chaos and inbox overwhelm. Use AI to handle scheduling, inbox management, travel planning and data entry — freeing up hours each week.
Workflow and SOP agent: Automate your SOPs and streamline onboarding with screen-recording AI that turns your processes into step-by-step guides — no more micromanaging.
Pulse agent for marketing: Analyze sales data, audit content and predict campaign performance before you hit launch — this is the tool that tripled my sales in just 14 days.
In our latest #WeArePlay film, which celebrates the people behind apps and games on Google Play, we meet Clément, the founder of Imagine Games. His game, My Lovely Planet, turns casual mobile gaming into tangible environmental action, planting real trees and supporting reforestation projects worldwide. Discover the inspiration behind My Lovely Planet and the impact it’s had so far.
What inspired you to combine gaming with positive environmental impact?
I’ve always loved gaming and believed in technology’s potential to tackle environmental challenges. But it was my time working with an NGO in Madagascar, where I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of environmental changes that truly sparked my mission. Combining gaming and sustainability just made sense. Billions of people play games, so why not harness that entertainment to create real-world impact? So far, the results speak for themselves: we’ve built an engaged global community committed to protecting the environment.
How do players in My Lovely Planet make real-world differences through the game?
With My Lovely Planet, planting a tree in the game means planting a real tree in the world. Our community has already planted over 360,000 trees through partnerships with NGOs like Graines de Vie in Madagascar, Kenya, and France. We’ve also supported ocean-cleaning, bee-protection, and drone reforestation projects.
Balancing fun with impact was key. Players wouldn’t stay just for the mission, so we focused on creating a genuinely fun match-3 style game. Once gameplay was strong, we made real-world actions like tree planting core rewards in the game, helping players feel naturally connected to their impact. Our goal is to keep growing this model to protect biodiversity and fight climate change.
Can you tell us about your drone-led reforestation project in France?
Our latest initiative involves using drones to reforest areas severely impacted by insect infestations and other environmental issues. We’re dropping over one million specially-coated seeds by drone, which is a completely new and efficient way of reforesting large areas. It’s exciting because if this pilot succeeds, it could be replicated worldwide, significantly boosting global reforestation efforts.
How has Google Play helped your journey?
Google Play has been crucial for My Lovely Planet – it’s our main distribution channel, with about 70% of our players coming through the platform. It makes it incredibly easy and convenient for anyone to download and start playing immediately. which is essential for engaging a global community. Plus, from a developer’s standpoint, the flexibility, responsiveness, and powerful testing tools Google Play provides have made launching and scaling our game faster and smoother, allowing us to focus even more on our environmental impact.
What is next for My Lovely Planet?
Right now, we’re focused on expanding the game experience by adding more engaging levels, and introducing exciting new features like integrating our eco-friendly cryptocurrency, My Lovely Coin, into gameplay. Following the success of our first drone-led reforestation project in France, our next step is tracking its impact and expanding this approach to other regions. Ultimately, we aim to build the world’s largest gaming community dedicated to protecting the environment, empowering millions to make a difference while enjoying the game.
Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.
Several weeks after a federal appeals court said Apple would have to loosen its grip on its App Store, Tim Cook, the company’s chief executive, and his top lieutenants debated what to do.
For more than a decade, Apple had required apps to use the App Store payment system and collected a commission of up to 30 percent on app sales. Now, in 2023, the courts were ordering it to allow apps to avoid Apple’s payments and go directly to online consumers. Mr. Cook wanted to know: Could Apple still charge a commission on those sales without violating a court order?
Phil Schiller, who oversaw the App Store, worried that new fees could be illegal. He favored making online sales free of an Apple commission. Luca Maestri, who oversaw the company’s finances, disagreed. He favored charging a commission of 27 percent for online sales because it would protect the company’s business.
Mr. Cook sided with Mr. Maestri, and Apple set out to justify that choice. It “manufactured” an independent economic study to legitimize its decision, a federal judge said in an angry ruling last week. It withheld thousands of documents under attorney-client privilege claims. And at least one of its executives lied on the witness stand.
The judge’s ruling, as well as witness testimony this year and company documents released on Thursday, shows the extraordinary measures that Apple took to keep every penny it collected in the App Store. The decision by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who heard the initial lawsuit brought by the video game company Epic Games in 2020, could cast a shadow over Apple’s business for years, weakening its credibility as legal scrutiny of its operations intensifies.
“If you burn your credibility with the courts, the next judge is going to be a lot less willing to forgive,” said Mark A. Lemley, a Stanford University professor of antitrust and technology law. In future cases for Apple, he said, “it’s going to be easier for a judge to jump to the conclusion that people are lying.”
Google has shown that a company’s actions can cast a shadow over high-stakes legal proceedings. Last month, in an antitrust case over its advertising technology, a judge said the company’s efforts to conceal its communications had raised questions about whether it would follow the court’s remedies for its behavior.
Apple is appealing Judge Gonzalez Rogers’s ruling, which held the company in civil contempt. In requesting a delay of the court’s order to loosen its grip on the App Store, Apple said on Wednesday that it would show the contempt finding was “unwarranted.” The company declined to comment further for this article.
Epic, the developer of Fortnite, sued Apple in 2020, accusing it of violating antitrust laws by forcing developers to use its App Store payment system. Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled largely in favor of Apple, finding it wasn’t a monopoly, as Epic had argued. But she said Apple had violated California competition law and ordered the company to allow apps to include links and buttons to buy software and services outside the App Store.
Apple created a task force, code-named Project Wisconsin, to respond to the order. It considered two different solutions. The first would allow apps to include links for online purchases in restricted locations, free of a commission. The second would allow apps to offer those links where they wished but force them to pay a 27 percent commission on sales.
With links and no commission, Apple estimated it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars, even more than $1 billion. With a 27 percent commission, it would lose almost nothing.
Mr. Cook met with the team in June 2023. He reviewed a range of commission options, from 20 to 27 percent. He also evaluated analysis showing that few developers would leave Apple’s payment system for their own if there was a 27 percent commission, court records show. Eventually, he chose that rate while also approving a plan to restrict where apps put links for online purchases.
Afterward, Apple hired an economic consultant, Analysis Group, to write a report that Apple could use to justify its fees. The report concluded that Apple’s developer tools and distribution services were worth more than 30 percent of an app’s revenue.
Apple also created screens to discourage online purchases by making them seem scary and “dangerous,” court documents show. Mr. Cook weighed in, asking the team to revise a warning to emphasize Apple’s privacy and security. Rather than “You will no longer be transacting with Apple,” the company said: “Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of purchases made on the web.”
When Apple revealed its 27 percent commission in January 2024, Epic filed a claim in court that Apple wasn’t complying with the judge’s order. Judge Gonzalez Rogers brought Apple and Epic back to court. Alex Roman, a vice president of finance, testified that Apple had made its final decision on its commission on Jan. 16, 2024. Executives also testified that the Analysis Group report had helped them set the commission rate.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers questioned whether Apple was telling the truth and asked the company to provide documents about its plans. It produced 89,000 documents but claimed a third of them were confidential. The court said those claims were “unsubstantiated” and forced Apple to turn over more than half of the documents.
The documents made clear that Mr. Roman had lied under oath, that the Analysis Group report was a “sham” and that Apple had “willfully” disregarded a court order, Judge Gonzalez Rogers said. She called it a “cover-up.”
Her ruling will give prosecutors, regulators and judges ammunition against Apple’s defense strategies in a half dozen similar cases around the world, several antitrust and tech law professors and lawyers said.
When the company tries to redact or withhold documents, prosecutors and judges can point to how those strategies were found to be “tactics to delay the proceedings” in the Epic Games case, these experts said. When Apple executives testify, prosecutors and judges could question their credibility because the company was found to “hide the truth” and “outright lie.”
In the Justice Department’s antitrust case and others against Apple, said Colin Kass, an antitrust lawyer at Proskauer Rose, courts and regulators seeking Apple documents “will start the process by saying, ‘Open your doors, and don’t you dare try those silly little games you used in the past.’”
The company will face more skepticism about defenses, as well, in the Justice Department’s lawsuit, said Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a law professor at Vanderbilt University who studies antitrust. In the past, Apple has said it shows green bubbles for an Android owner’s messages because communicating across smartphone systems is less secure. But she said those claims might be considered less credible after the Epic ruling.
Ms. Allensworth said the judge’s opinion also could stiffen the resolve of the European Union, Britain, Spain and others pressing Apple to change its App Store practices because regulators and courts often find safety in numbers.
“Apple has been acting like they’re above the law,” she said. “This sends a signal Apple is not.”
In recent days, iPhone apps have been changing. The Kindle app now lets people buy books directly from its site. Spotify is offering users free trials. And Patreon, a subscription service, is letting people pay creators more money.
The changes are an early look at how a recent court ruling could transform the shopping experience on an iPhone. Last week, a federal judge ordered Apple to start allowing apps to offer promotions and collect payments directly from users. The decision makes it possible for apps to offer people new conveniences, like buying books directly from their website. The ruling also lets apps bypass a 30 percent commission that Apple collects on every app sale, which could lead to lower prices for consumers.
For more than a decade, Apple required that apps use its payment system for purchases and collected commission on the sales.
Now, all of that is open to change. Here’s what could be different in the future and why.
What did the judge rule?
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who began working on this case after Epic Games sued Apple in 2020, ruled that Apple could no longer take commissions from sales that link out from the app. She also restricted the company from writing rules that would prevent developers from creating buttons or links allowing people to pay apps directly for their goods and services, and said it could not create messages — known as warning screens — that discourage users from leaving the App Store.
Amazon asked to update its Kindle app to allow people to buy books.Credit…Kindle
How will iPhone apps change?
For years, Kindle has not sold books on its app to avoid Apple’s 30 percent commission. Now, it has added a “Get Book” button that directs users to its website to buy books. Similarly, Apple prevented Spotify from offering free trials to new customers, but now Spotify has a button on its app for a three-month trial.
Other apps could begin offering links for buying directly from stores online, which would allow the business to avoid having to pay Apple’s 30 percent commission. Without having to pay those fees, apps could offer users lower prices, reducing a $10 monthly subscription to $7.
What will this cost Apple?
Apple makes $11 billion a year from app sales in the United States, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley. It won’t lose all of that, but the bank estimates that $2 billion of that is now at risk.
How much Apple loses will come down to how willing people are to change their behavior. The decade-old process for buying software and services on apps is not only familiar but also quick. People trust Apple with their credit card information. And the company makes it easy for people to cancel their subscriptions — keeping them all in one place. Many people may be reluctant to leave the App Store to make their purchases, and apps may prefer to maintain the current system.
What does this mean for the rest of the world?
Now that Apple is required to allow apps to collect payment directly, without paying the company a commission, in the United States, other countries are going to press for similar concessions. Regulators in Europe, Japan and South Korea, which have been asking Apple to loosen its grip on the App Store, would not want their own citizens or developers to have to pay more than Americans did.
Could Apple roll back the changes?
Apple said it planned to appeal the ruling, but it would be challenging for the company to have the decision overturned. In 2021, the judge wrote a less prescriptive ruling. Apple skirted the rule by introducing a 27 percent commission for app sales. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sided with the judge’s initial ruling from 2021 and is unlikely to change its position, said Mark A. Lemley, a professor of antitrust and technology law at Stanford. “They should take their licks and let it be,” he said.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is thinking they need to do everything themselves, or, even worse, thinking that hiring one “rockstar” full-time employee will solve every problem in their business (and if they do find this diamond in the rough, which is highly unlikely, they’re usually not in a position to hire and manage that person effectively). In my experience, I’ve found that success comes from not how you do it but who helps you do it, and a team of experts is the most effective way to get there.
Today’s small business owners and solopreneurs are under more pressure than ever. The market is rapidly shifting, consumers are cautious about spending, and there’s a constant demand to stay visible and relevant in an increasingly crowded market. Entrepreneurs are expected to wear every hat, from visionary to strategist and social media manager, and still find time to grow their business. It’s insanity, isn’t it?
After starting my business, I quickly realized that the most effective way for it to be successful was to bring on outside help. Through strategic outsourcing, I was able to grow my first business, the Boutique COO, to seven figures in under eight months.
So, how do you know when it’s time to bring in outside help or where to even start? Here are four main steps to guide you.
When most business owners realize they need help, their first instinct is to look for one full-time hire who can help manage ops, run their marketing campaigns, handle admin tasks and maybe even update the website and post on social media.
That, my friends, is what we call a unicorn. They just don’t exist. And if they do, they’re either incredibly expensive or burned out from being pulled in a thousand directions. Plus, as a busy business owner who may not be comfortable with effective performance management or trained in it, you might not be able to best leverage your unicorn even if you found them.
Early on in my business, I tried to find someone who could take a lot of things off my plate. I thought that if I could just find the right person, I’d be set. But in reality, no single human (including you) will be amazing at everything your business needs, and expecting them to be amazing is unfair.
The better and smarter approach is to build a dream team of specialists who each do what they’re great at. Hire a bookkeeper who has a penchant for numbers. Bring on a virtual assistant who gets giddy about organization. Add a marketing specialist who loves to write. When everyone is working in their zone of genius and gets in their flow state, the quality of work skyrockets. The natural result is authentic and much more sustainable business growth.
It’s also more cost-effective and less risky. Instead of paying a full-time salary plus benefits for one person, you can outsource even just a few ad hoc hours at a time for highly skilled support in each important area of your business. This way, you aren’t betting your business on a single person — and you get better results, spend less money and free up your own time. It’s a win-win.
2. Identify the workload, not the title
Before you start outsourcing, you need to stop thinking in terms of job titles. You don’t need a COO or a marketing manager (not yet, at least). What you do need is clarity on what tasks are taking up most of your time.
When I talk to clients whose businesses are taking off, I do a quick audit. I look at where they spend the most time and what drains their energy. If something is time-consuming and doesn’t provide much impact, that is a big red flag that the task either needs to be discontinued entirely or outsourced. Think in terms of categories that don’t necessarily contribute to revenue growth, like admin, onboarding new clients, invoicing and bookkeeping or the ever-dreaded payroll.
Here’s a general rule: If your plate is full and you’re spending more than three to five hours a week on something that doesn’t require your specific expertise, outsource it.
Think about the tasks that don’t directly generate revenue or that someone else could do better and faster than you can.
For most entrepreneurs, this includes tasks like
Scheduling and calendar management
Invoicing and payments
Emailing newsletters and planning social media
Doing basic admin, such as organizing files and documents
When I first started outsourcing, I handed off two things that took a big chunk of my time but didn’t actually need my time: scheduling and inbox management. It was a small change, but the impact was massive. Not only did I gain back time during the week, but I also felt mentally clear enough to focus on strategies to grow my business.
4. Set your contractors up for success
Hiring help is just the first step. Being a good leader is what makes a huge difference.
My non-negotiables: Be specific about expectations, and make your onboarding process crystal clear. Give your contractors access to the shared tools you use so they have everything they need to get started. At the Boutique COO and our new sister company, Brick by Brick Collective, we’re big fans of Notion and Paymo, and we basically live in Slack.
Set up regular check-ins, especially during onboarding. Plan time to train contractors and give them feedback early on. Set clear goals and expectations. Your best hire will still feel ineffective if you aren’t investing in getting them ramped up.
Be prepared to accept that things will be done 80% to 90% of the way you’d do it. If you expect someone to do something exactly how you’d do it, you are not weighing the benefit of outsourcing with the small cost of things not being exactly “perfect.” Remember, if you hire someone to clean your house or mow your lawn, you wouldn’t be complaining if they folded your clothes slightly differently than you do or if they did yardwork in a slightly different order.
These tips have been instrumental in my growing a seven-figure business in under eight months, starting two new businesses and bringing on almost 150 team members without sacrificing my sanity.
Do more with less, and build bigger than you’d thought possible
Ultimately, it’s about asking a better question:
Not “How can I get this done?” but “Who can help me get it done?” and “Who do I need to be to enable those people best?”
If you’re truly ready to grow, pick one task you’re doing regularly that doesn’t require you to do it, and find someone to take it off your plate this week. You’ll be surprised at how much that tiny shift opens up everything else for you.
Outsourcing is a strategy that, when done with intention, can be one of the most powerful ways to do more for your business and keep your clients (and you!) happy.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Successful entrepreneurs often share similar qualities — they’re driven, resourceful and ready to wear multiple hats to turn their vision into a reality. In the early stages of building a business, being a jack-of-all-trades isn’t just an advantage; it’s a necessity.
Given the nature of the job, it can be challenging for entrepreneurs to learn how to delegate effectively as a company grows — but it’s one of the most important skills to master for scaling a business and sustaining long-term success. The ability to recognize when to seek help, which tasks to delegate and how to lean on the expertise of others is what separates thriving businesses from those stuck in survival mode.
For me, the delegation lesson came early on in my entrepreneurial journey when I found my startup at a critical crossroads. In the beginning, I was operating as a one-man show, offering my software for free while personally handling support inquiries from our 500 users when I wasn’t at my full-time job. It quickly became clear that it wasn’t sustainable to continue managing this on my own, and I was faced with the choice of either eliminating support completely or finding a way to share the workload.
I decided to hire my very first employee to manage the increasing volume of support requests so I could focus on further expanding our user base and building a sustainable business model. By delegating support, my business was able to scale significantly without sacrificing the high-quality customer service that continues to define our brand today.
Breaking the “it’s easier to do it myself” mindset
If you don’t learn to delegate, your business growth will always be limited by your own capacity and capabilities. Handling everything on your own may feel efficient in the moment, but in reality, it restricts your potential as a leader and as a business. You only know what you know, and there are only so many hours in the day. Imagine what you and your business could be capable of if you had the right support from the right experts.
A solo mentality often leads to burnout, missed opportunities and stagnation. Shifting toward a leadership mindset doesn’t necessarily mean letting go of control — it’s about maximizing your impact. By trusting and empowering others, you’ll free up valuable time to focus on strategy, innovation and the big picture, ultimately driving greater success.
Start small and start now
If delegating isn’t your strong suit, the most effective way to build the habit is to start small and start now. Pick a task from your list — no matter how small or important — and delegate it to someone else on your team. Then move on to the next task and the next. The more you delegate, the more you’ll lighten your workload while building confidence in your team and their abilities. Over time, delegating will come more naturally, and you will encourage those around you to step up and excel.
Progress over perfection
In the beginning, tasks may not be done exactly as you would do them yourself — and that’s okay. Focus on progress over perfection. Effective delegation will be a learning process for both you and your team, requiring some patience, communication and trust. Instead of micromanaging or taking tasks back at the first sign of imperfection, try to embrace these moments as teaching and growth opportunities.
Building a stronger, more capable team
Delegation is a powerful tool to help your team grow. By entrusting your team with meaningful tasks and encouraging problem-solving and accountability, you’re creating a culture where employees can develop new skills and build confidence in their abilities. When your team feels empowered to solve problems and make decisions, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and pride in their work. This sense of responsibility fuels engagement, motivation and investment in the success of the business.
Over time, delegation will only strengthen your team to become more self-sufficient and capable. As they take on more responsibility and grow in their roles, your business becomes more resilient with a stronger foundation. This growth enables you to scale your business efficiently without sacrificing the quality that is critical for long-term success.
Choose what to delegate: Reflect on your workload and identify the tasks that truly require your direct involvement and those that don’t. Time to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses — does someone else on your team have the expertise to handle certain tasks more efficiently? Consider the time-consuming or repetitive tasks you could delegate to free up your time for higher-priority work.
Pick the right person: Be intentional about assigning the right tasks to the right individuals based on their skills and experience. Think about those who are capable, eager to learn and show the most growth potential.
Set clear expectations: Clearly define the scope of the task at hand, outlining key deadlines, objectives and your desired end result to set your team up for success. Provide any necessary resources or background context, and be available to answer questions or offer support along the way.
Support without controlling: Trust is the key to effective delegation — which is why it can be such a tough skill to master. Resist the urge to micromanage or demand perfection. Give your employees room and autonomy to complete the task in their own way while you remain accessible for guidance and support if needed.
Follow up and offer feedback: Schedule deadlines or check-ins to review progress and provide constructive feedback. Prioritize recognizing successes as highly as addressing any challenges.
When I travel to Asia this summer, I plan to leave my iPhone at home. Instead, I’ll pack a different phone lacking my staple apps, like Instagram, Slack and Signal. It won’t even be logged in to my work email.
No, I’m not planning a digital detox. I’m choosing to travel with what’s known as a burner phone because my personal device contains sensitive data that I don’t want others, particularly U.S. border protection officers, to search.
For over a decade, the federal government has had the authority to conduct border searches of travelers’ personal electronics, including phones, laptops and tablets. In recent years, such inspections have steadily increased, though they happen to only a small portion of people entering the United States.
Last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reported that it had conducted roughly 43,000 electronics searches, up from about 38,000 in 2023.
To be clear, I may be particularly paranoid as a journalist who is constantly working to protect confidential sources from being outed, so a burner phone is an extreme measure that most people won’t find practical or even necessary.
But in recent incidents, travelers have been denied entry into the United States in part because of phone data, such as photos of guns and social media posts about protests.
“The bigger concern is that the government can single out people it wants to search,” said Esha Bhandari, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. “We’ve seen anecdotal evidence of more aggressive searches on the border, including lawyers who have attorney-client privileges and people seen as dissidents.”
In other words, while no rules have changed when it comes to entering the United States, a shift in how frequently the policies are enforced may be underway. Vacationers and business travelers alike should be judicious about the data they carry on their devices.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and the approach that works best for you depends on your lifestyle and profession. Here’s what to do.
Assess your risk
First consider who you are, what you do for work and what’s on your phone, laptop or tablet, said Jeremiah Grossman, a cybersecurity expert.
If, for instance, you’re a retired U.S. citizen carrying some vacation photos and text conversations with friends from your book club on your device, you probably don’t have to worry. But if you’re a student on a visa who has been involved in government protests, there may be media on your phone that could create issues.
“If law enforcement had everything on your phone and access to everything, would that be bad for you?” Mr. Grossman said.
From there, assess whether your risk is high or low and pick an approach.
Low risk: Use a passcode, and delete some apps
If you’re only mildly concerned about your data being searched, start with turning off biometrics such as fingerprint and face recognition sensors. Instead, rely only on a passcode for unlocking your device.
To turn off Face ID on an iPhone, open the settings app, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode and toggle off the switch for iPhone Unlock.
For Android phones, the steps depend on the model, but generally in the settings app you can type a search for the Face & Fingerprint Unlock menu and disable the settings there.
Using only a passcode can be an effective measure for U.S. citizens because it is legally more difficult for the government to compel you to share a passcode than it is for an officer to take your phone and hold it up to your face to unlock it, Ms. Bhandari said.
But while citizens can decline to provide a passcode, visa holders and tourists visiting the United States run the risk of being denied entry if they refuse to comply, Ms. Bhandari added. So it’s best to also take the extra step of deleting any apps containing information that could become problematic, such as Instagram, Signal or X.
Medium risk: Back up and purge your data
If you think there’s a modest possibility that the government could search your phone, consider backing up a copy of all your data and purging your device before returning to the United States, Mr. Grossman said.
To make this process simpler, you can back up your data to an online server, such as Apple’s iCloud for iPhones or Google One for Android devices. That way, you can later restore your data over the internet by entering your account credentials.
To back up your data on an iPhone to iCloud, open the settings app, tap your name, tap iCloud and select iCloud Backup. Switch on Back Up This iPhone and tap Back Up Now. Then, to purge your iPhone data, in the settings app go to the General menu, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, tap Erase All Content and Settings and follow the steps.
To back up your data on an Android device to Google One, open the settings app, tap Google, then tap Backup. To purge your Android data, the steps depend on your phone model, but generally you can do a search for the Factory Reset menu in the settings app.
After you cross the border with the wiped device, you will see an option to restore the device from a backup when you go to set it up, at which point you can enter your account credentials to get your data back. (Just make sure to have your password written down somewhere.)
High risk: Carry a burner phone
If you think it’s very likely that U.S. border officials will want to look at your phone, the most robust solution is to leave your personal devices at home and carry a burner phone used exclusively for travel.
Here’s how I plan to do it.
I’ll carry a cheap Android phone with only the software necessary for my trip, including ride-hailing and maps apps.
I’ll log in to one email account I created exclusively for travel to retrieve itineraries and other trip-related information.
When I land, I’ll connect to a temporary cellular plan on a foreign network using an eSIM, a digitized version of a SIM card, which can be activated through an app such as Nomad, Airalo or GigSky. (I wrote a guide to using eSIM technology in a previous column.)
Then, when I return home, I’ll copy all my vacation photos from the vacation phone to my iPhone and put the burner in a drawer until my next trip.
Headhunting is a specialized form of recruitment that focuses on finding top talent for high-level positions within a company. Unlike traditional recruiting, headhunting targets high-level employees who are not actively seeking new roles, making it an essential strategy for filling urgent or hard-to-fill positions.
This method is particularly effective in industries where expertise and experience are crucial. Headhunters often have deep knowledge of the industry and a wide network of contacts, enabling them to identify and approach the best candidates. Advancements in technology have also enhanced the headhunting process, making it easier to match the right candidates to the right roles.
The impact of headhunting on the job market and businesses is significant. By ensuring that top talent is placed in key positions, companies can achieve better performance and innovation. Understanding how headhunting works can help you leverage this strategy to advance your career or improve your organization’s success.
Key Takeaways
Headhunting focuses on finding top talent for high-level positions.
Technology has improved the efficiency of the headhunting process.
Effective headhunting can significantly enhance business performance.
What is Headhunting? Understanding the Concept
Headhunting focuses on finding top talent, especially those not actively seeking jobs, while traditional recruitment often relies on advertising vacancies. This specialized approach involves a proactive and targeted process to secure the best candidates for key positions.
Headhunting vs Traditional Recruitment
Headhunting differs from traditional recruitment primarily in how candidates are sourced. Traditional recruitment generally involves posting job advertisements and waiting for applicants, targeting active candidates who are actively looking for new opportunities.
Headhunting, on the other hand, actively targets passive candidates who are not actively seeking new roles but may be open to the right opportunity. This means reaching out directly to professionals who are currently employed and may not be browsing job boards.
Another difference lies in the level of roles usually targeted. While traditional recruitment can be used for a wide range of positions, headhunting is often reserved for senior-level or highly specialized roles that require specific skills and experience.
The Headhunting Process
The headhunting process involves several steps, each designed to identify and attract the best candidates. Initially, headhunters work closely with the hiring organization to understand the specific requirements of the role and the desired candidate profile.
Next, headhunters conduct market research to identify potential candidates. This involves scanning professional networks, databases, and industry connections. Once suitable candidates are identified, headhunters use strategic and personalized outreach to engage these professionals, often leveraging their industry knowledge and network.
After making initial contact, headhunters assess the candidate’s fit for the role through detailed discussions and interviews. This thorough vetting process ensures that only the most qualified and interested candidates are presented to the hiring organization.
Roles of Headhunters in Recruitment
Headhunters play a critical role in the recruitment process, especially for high-level positions. Their expertise includes deep industry knowledge, extensive networks, and negotiation skills. They work closely with hiring managers to define the role, identify the best approach for outreach, and create a compelling pitch to attract top talent.
They also manage the entire recruitment cycle, from initial contact to final offer negotiation. This includes coordinating interviews, providing feedback, and facilitating communication between candidates and the hiring organization.
In addition, headhunters often act as advisors, helping to align the hiring strategy with the organization’s long-term goals. This strategic partnership can result in more successful hires and a better fit for both the candidate and the organization.
The Role of Technology in Headhunting
Technology has transformed headhunting by utilizing social media platforms and enhancing digital networking. It allows headhunters to connect with top talent more efficiently and personalize the recruitment process.
Leveraging Social Media
Social media platforms like LinkedIn are powerful tools for headhunting. They enable recruiters to identify and connect with potential candidates quickly. You can search for professionals based on their skills, experience, and industry.
LinkedIn provides detailed profiles, making it easier to assess a candidate’s fit for a role without initial interviews. Social media also allows headhunters to engage with candidates more informally. Engaging through posts, messages, and comments can build relationships and trust.
Job boards linked to social media also help. They provide a broader audience and quick access to a pool of active job seekers. This combination allows you to reach both passive and active candidates in a targeted manner. Making the most out of these platforms can make your headhunting process more efficient and successful.
Digital Networking and Headhunting
Digital networking has changed how headhunters find and interact with candidates. Online events, webinars, and industry forums are now prevalent, offering new avenues for connecting with professionals. You can attend these events and engage with potential candidates directly.
Specialized recruitment tools also aid in digital networking. These tools analyze data to match candidates with job openings accurately. Advanced analytics can identify trends and predict candidate success, making the process more data-driven.
Additionally, digital platforms can facilitate initial interviews and assessments through video calls and AI-based evaluations. This reduces the need for physical meetings and speeds up the hiring process. Incorporating digital networking into your strategy can help you stay ahead in the competitive field of headhunting.
Steps in the Headhunting Process
This process involves several important steps: identifying suitable candidates, engaging and screening them, conducting interviews and shortlisting, and finally, negotiating and making the job offer.
Identifying Suitable Candidates
To start, you need to create a thorough candidate profile. This profile details the skills, experience, and qualifications required for the role. Once you have a clear profile, you can begin your candidate search.
Focus on finding qualified candidates, including passive talent, who aren’t actively looking for new jobs but may be open to opportunities. Utilizing professional networks and databases helps you cast a wide net. You’ll want to look at candidates’ past work, accomplishments, and their fit with your organization’s culture.
Candidate Engagement and Screening
After identifying potential candidates, the next step is to engage and screen them. This begins with an initial outreach, which should be personalized and direct. Provide a compelling reason for why they should consider the position.
Next, collect resumes and conduct preliminary screenings based on the candidate profile. During this stage, verify their qualifications and look for red flags that might disqualify them from the process. Consider conducting brief phone interviews to further assess their suitability before moving forward.
Interviewing and Shortlisting
Once you’ve screened candidates, you can move on to the interview process. Structured interviews help maintain consistency. Develop a set of questions that target key skills and experiences. Multiple rounds of interviews may be necessary, including technical assessments and culture fit evaluations.
After the interviews, create a shortlist of the top candidates. Discuss their performance with relevant team members and gather feedback to decide who progresses through the hiring process. Ensure that you’re comparing candidates fairly and objectively.
Negotiations and Job Offer
When you have your top candidate, begin the negotiation phase. This involves discussing salary, benefits, start date, and any other terms of employment. Be prepared for a dialogue where both sides may need to compromise.
Once terms are agreed upon, make a formal job offer. Ensure the offer letter is clear and includes all relevant details. Follow up promptly and maintain open communication to address any questions or concerns the candidate may have before they accept the position.
The Impact of Headhunting on Businesses
Headhunting can open up opportunities for businesses to attract top talent, improve productivity, and build strong partnerships for long-term growth. The process, however, comes with certain cost considerations.
Strategic Advantages for Companies
Headhunting allows you to target and attract high-level employees who may not be actively seeking new jobs. This means you can bring in executive-level talent with specialized skills and experience, rather than relying solely on candidates who are actively job searching.
A key advantage is the ability to fill critical leadership roles quickly and efficiently. Instead of spending months on the traditional hiring process, you can identify and recruit top-tier talent, ensuring your company remains competitive. This is particularly important for roles requiring unique expertise or experience that are vital for your business operations.
Cost Considerations in Headhunting
While headhunting offers strategic benefits, it is important to consider the cost implications. Engaging a headhunter can be more expensive than traditional recruitment methods. You might incur costs such as headhunter fees, which can range from 20% to 30% of the candidate’s annual salary.
However, these costs can be offset by the long-term value brought by the recruited talent. A strategic hire can significantly impact your company’s productivity, innovation, and success. Evaluating the return on investment (ROI) is crucial, especially when hiring for c-suite positions and other roles that demand high expertise.
Partnership and Long-Term Growth
Forming a partnership with a professional headhunting firm can lead to sustainable long-term growth. These partnerships often result in a better cultural fit between the candidate and your organization, promoting higher retention rates. This is because headhunters develop a deep understanding of your company’s culture, values, and long-term goals.
Additionally, strong headhunting partnerships can enhance your company’s ability to attract and retain top talent over time. By building a relationship with a trusted headhunter, you create a pipeline of potential candidates, ensuring that future vacancies can be filled swiftly and effectively.
Building such relationships with headhunters can yield mutually beneficial outcomes for both your company and the headhunting firm. This constant collaboration can help you adapt to evolving market needs and consistently reinforce your team’s strength and capability.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exploring headhunting, it is important to understand how it differs from recruiting, the way it’s used today, and its ethical considerations.
What is the difference between headhunting and recruiting?
Headhunting focuses on finding and attracting top talent for specific roles, often from competing companies. Recruiting generally involves filling open positions through job postings and candidate applications.
How is headhunting utilized in modern human resources practices?
In today’s HR practices, headhunting is used to target high-demand, hard-to-fill roles. Companies often partner with specialized firms to find candidates who are not actively looking but are ideal for strategic positions.
What are the key advantages and disadvantages of headhunting for organizations?
Key advantages include accessing a larger talent pool and finding highly qualified candidates quickly. The disadvantages are the higher cost and the possible disruption caused by recruiting employees from competitors.
In what way is the term headhunting used in a modern corporate context?
In the corporate world, headhunting usually means the targeted recruitment of executives or highly specialized professionals. It aims to fill critical organizational roles that require specific expertise or leadership skills.
How have headhunting techniques evolved with the advent of digital technology?
Digital technology has transformed headhunting by enabling the use of data analytics, online professional networks, and AI-powered tools to identify and engage potential candidates effectively.
What are the ethical considerations involved in headhunting practices?
Ethical considerations include respect for candidate confidentiality and honesty in communication. Headhunters must avoid misleading candidates or engaging in poaching tactics that violate non-compete agreements.
figuring out how to balance these points can help you make better decisions about using headhunters in your organization.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or budding entrepreneur, it is clear that in today’s turbulent world, instability is not an exception — it’s the norm, and we must have the tools and mindset to navigate this certain uncertainty.
Embrace adaptive decision-making
Market volatility, supply chain disruptions, team turnover and regulatory shifts are happening at a rapid pace in every industry, and these stressors can feel overwhelming, even existential.
But when we learn from leaders who have operated in some of the world’s most fragile environments — conflict zones, post-crisis governments and unstable political systems — we find that such conditions are manageable, and from their experiences, we can draw profound lessons. The leaders who succeed in these environments are the ones who embrace uncertainty, build trust and adapt quickly to rapidly evolving circumstances.
Fragile business ecosystems require sensitive adaptability and fluidity. Rigid leadership styles often crack under pressure. Leaders who cling to certainty are quickly outpaced by complexity, while those who embrace adaptive leadership — rooted in learning, iteration and responsiveness — are better equipped for uncertainty. For entrepreneurs, this means moving away from static business plans and embracing agility. Set short-term priorities that allow for learning cycles. Use weekly retrospectives to evaluate what’s working. Build feedback loops into your decision-making processes.
The ability to pivot quickly, while staying grounded in core values, is what sets resilient leaders apart. In high-risk environments, trust is the foundation for rapid, effective collaboration.
Collaborative leadership thrives on mutual respect, psychological safety and open communication. As evidenced in modern approaches to “soft and hard” workplace leadership skills, do not wait for a crisis to start building trust. Create a culture of transparency today. Invite dissenting opinions. Share the “why” behind hard decisions. Across turbulent business, social and political landscapes, what I have seen time and time again is that when people feel heard and respected, they are far more likely to rally in difficult times. Trust, once established, becomes the invisible glue holding your organization together when external pressures mount.
Leverage diverse ideas to build resilience
In transitional governments and post-crisis rebuilding, effective leaders often rely on broad coalitions — civil society, the private sector, and diaspora communities — not just for representation, but as a strategic advantage. Diverse teams bring fresh perspectives, challenge assumptions and innovate under pressure. Entrepreneurs can apply this by hiring for cognitive and experiential diversity, building cross-functional teams and fostering a culture of ownership, reflection and shared purpose. The most resilient teams I’ve seen weren’t just skilled — they were united by something bigger than their job titles.
In my work with the World Bank’s Collaborative Leadership for Development program, we saw time and again that moments of acute crisis often opened up space for bold reforms — reforms that would have been politically impossible in calmer times. One example that demonstrates how adaptive leadership and collaborative trust can unlock progress under pressure comes from one of our projects in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, easy access to groundwater and informal water markets made it hard for the government to collect tariffs and maintain infrastructure. We ran a workshop in Obudu with 50+ engineers, water commissioners, business and civil society leaders from six states to shift focus from technical fixes — like tariffs and meters — to adaptive challenges: ensuring payment and preventing water theft by addressing behavior change and stakeholder engagement. By the end of the program, teams had set 11-month goals, built action plans and crafted customized stakeholder messages. The success of these cross-functional teams contributed to national legislation reform on stakeholder engagement.
This example underscores how cross-sector collaboration, local buy-in and a shared sense of purpose can unlock large-scale systems change. The lessons here are just as relevant for startup founders as they are for policymakers: Deep listening, shared accountability and stakeholder trust are not optional in today’s fractured landscape — they’re essential.
See crisis as a catalyst
When old systems break down, new ideas can finally take root. Entrepreneurs should view crises not only as threats but as invitations to rethink outdated assumptions. Which processes can be streamlined? What technologies could you adopt now that seemed risky before? Who else needs to be involved in strengthening your team? Crisis forces clarity. Use it to your advantage.
It begins with me
One of the core components of what I teach global leaders is the importance of self-mastery. Leaders working in fragile environments often carry the emotional weight of their teams, communities and constituents. They must find ways to center themselves amid chaos. Similarly, entrepreneurs need practices that build inner resilience. Whether it’s breathwork, meditation or structured time for reflection, grounding yourself enables you to find calm and focus — both of which are essential during times of stress.
Remember: As a leader, your team takes emotional cues from you. The steadier you are, the more stable your organization becomes.
A resilient team begins with each member cultivating self-mastery. Individual transformation is the foundation for systemic change. To foster true collaboration, leaders must empower their teams with the tools to find inner strength and hone leadership skills needed to navigate uncertainty.
Leading under pressure isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the humility to learn, the courage to act and the wisdom to bring others along. The entrepreneurs who can master these skills will not only weather the storm — they will reshape the landscape in its aftermath.
A mid-level Google employee made $331,894 in 2024, a 5% increase from the median salary of $315,531 in 2023, per a new filing submitted by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The figure aligns with compensation at other tech giants in recent years. At Meta, for example, the median pay for employees in 2023 was $379,000 a year.
The filing further showed that Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai received total annual compensation of $10,725,043 last year, about 32 times more than the median employee. Pichai received a nearly $2 million raise from the $8,802,824 he made in 2023.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The bulk of Pichai’s compensation came from the “All Other Compensation” category, besides his $2,015,385 base salary and $405,630 in stock awards.
The remaining $8,304,028 included Pichai’s personal security costs, which climbed 22% from the $6,775,631 Google paid in 2023 to $8,267,123 in 2024. The category also included his retirement plan and use of company aircraft or cars.
“Due to Sundar’s significant public profile, Alphabet provides him with security protection,” Alphabet’s 2025 proxy statement reads. “In 2024, Sundar’s security arrangements included residential security and consultation fees, security monitoring services, car and driver services, and personal security during all travel.”
Alphabet called Pichai’s personal security expenses “reasonable, appropriate, necessary and in the best interests of Alphabet and its stockholders.”
Other tech CEOs also have seven or eight-figure security costs. For example, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $27.2 million total compensation in 2024 included a $14 million pre-tax security allowance. Meanwhile, Nvidia spent nearly $2.5 million in 2024 on CEO Jensen Huang’s security costs.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images